Pocono Raceway - Pocono 500 in Person Part I

The morning of the Pocono 500 dawned cloudy and cool, when only a day before it was supposed to be sunny and warm. On the way to the track the sun decided it was going to tease us by peeking in and out of the clouds, but in general the sky remained gray.

Casey Mears was signing at 10AM and Kurt at 10:30AM, so the first thing Danni, Mom and I did was go check out their souvenir rigs. Unfortunately tickets were needed for Kurt’s line and they were sold out, which was really disappointing for me because first of all I’d love to meet him and secondly I was lugging around Pit Road Pets in my David Reutimann backpack. The book got amazingly heavy very quickly. Then we headed off to Casey’s rig, on the way discovering that the Team Red Bull boys, JJ Yeley and David Gilliland were also going to be signing. When we got to the #25 trailer we found that no tickets were needed but the line was already stretching behind several rigs. I would have loved to have gotten Casey’s autograph but it’s more fun for me to watch the drivers than to stand in line for a long time and spend about five seconds with them (not to mention I’m pretty good at making a fool of myself in front of Casey). It turns out that my choice had a happy ending.

We were talking to a woman who also liked Casey a lot and who had run right into him at Daytona. I’ve read that Casey walks to his signings because he’s not that recognizable, but was a little surprised he still does it now that he’s better known among the fans. This lady said that she came face-to-face with him and was entranced by his eyes (I know how that feels…she’s 100% right about those eyes, and I’m not trying to be a goofy fangirl). He was very nice to her and very casual, which was cool to hear. While we waited for Casey to arrive we talked about autographs vs. photographs and both agreed that we like the photographs more since they bring back memories better than someone’s signature.

When Casey appeared my heart jumped as it always does, and the lady and I shared a satisfied glance. Casey seemed a little shyer than normal but still was very nice to everyone he signed for (especially the little kids), and always willing to take pictures. I noticed that his mom, Carol, had come out with him, so that was pretty cool.

After a while we were getting ready to leave for the TRB rig when suddenly Danni asked, “Is that Roger?” I turned around and Roger Mears was standing next to Carol. I love Roger so I was very excited to see him. Jim jumped on the opportunity to get our pictures taken with them and asked them if it would be okay. They happily complied (though they looked a little surprised that we wanted pictures with them). Jim cheerfully said that we were very short but are “like twenty”, which made Carol laugh and say, “Oh, really? Wow!” The Mears couple leaned down to compensate for our shortness and there is our first picture with NASCAR personalities! So they aren’t drivers, but they made one! Danni and I thanked them with glee and said goodbye.

When we reached the TRB rig AJ was already there, signing and talking. I think he was worried about how he was going to run because although he was friendly to every fan he met he looked distracted when he wasn’t doing anything. Danni had a Red Bull can she wanted him to sign but was too nervous to get on the line, so me being Miss Tough grabbed the can and went to get on the line. The problem was made clear to me as I watched a little kid duck under the fence, only to get yelled at very rudely by the line controller (I guess that’s what he was), “You need a ticket!” The kid looked frightened and walked away. then another guy came up to the line controller and asked if he could get on the line (by the way, no one was on AJ’s line anymore), and the line controller gave him the same nasty, “YOU NEED A TICKET!!!” So basically I didn’t even ask. AJ stuck around for a few minutes with a bit of an uncomfortable expression on his face (it must suck to have no one to sign for, but no one could get tickets because of Mr. Rude!) and then left after only ten minutes total of signing. I was perplexed. If TRB wants AJ to sign for people then they shouldn’t be so crappy to the fans! There was no one on AJ’s line at the time and I don’t see why the guy wouldn’t allow three more people to sneak in.

Brian was up next, though we had to wait a while for him. The first thing I noticed about him (besides that he is very good-looking and that his eyes really are the same color as his hair) was that he appeared very nervous and shy as everyone screamed and cheered for him. As he sat down his eyes darted all over the place and it took a few minutes for him to relax. Despite his apparent jitters he was talkative and ready to smile (and, like Casey, especially for the kids). Danni snapped some pictures of him and then we took off toward Kurt’s rig.

It was a MOB! I couldn’t believe how big the crowd was but it made me a little apprehensive because I was afraid that there would be a lot of fans there to boo him. We slipped our way toward the front part of the swarm and waited. Kurt was late (as usual) but when that door opened I got a good cheer ready to rip. So did everyone else in the crowd except one or two people! The few that booed were cut short and left mighty quick, probably shocked and afraid that us Kurt fans were going to beat them up like the cowards they were! The cheers were wonderful and Kurt soaked them all up with an appreciative grin.

By far, Kurt is the most fan-friendly driver I’ve ever seen. He smiled and talked to every fan and whenever someone in the crowd called for him he’d look up, grin and give a thumbs-up. I couldn’t be prouder to be a fan of his, and anyone who dislikes him is really missing out on a great guy. Every time I watch him sign I love him more and more.

Finally we dragged ourselves away from him and looked for the green rig of JJ Yeley. I may sound like a little fangirl again, but when I saw him I actually had to look away and catch my breath. He is a million times more handsome in real life than on TV, and he’s pretty handsome on TV!

JJ was amiable toward both the fans on the line and in the crowd. However, his confidence turned to embarrassment when out of nowhere some stupid tart from the RaceGirl rig showed up and made a big scene. JJ’s face turned bright red because she actually had the nerve to start stroking his chest and cheeks, and put her umbrella in front of both of them and pretended to be kissing him. I thought this was pretty inappropriate, even as a joke, since JJ is married, not to mention that he looked incredibly awkward. I also felt it was very unfair to his fans because they got less of an experience with him as he was so distracted by this hobag. Luckily JJ handled it very well and even posed with her before she (at last) left. Immediately he recovered and radiated relief. Poor JJ!

Next up was Reed Sorenson, who was hiding in the corner of his rig behind a flag, which made him really hard to see. It didn’t take long for me to guess that he wasn’t feeling too well, since I heard him very audibly snuffle - and it sounded pretty congested! He was also being harassed by a pair of cougars, one who snorted when she laughed after she took his picture (I must admit I giggled in spite of my irritation with them). Check out Reed’s face!

Thankfully we got a good smile when someone in the crowd yelled, “Reed, you’re badass!”

Lastly we went to see David Gilliland. He was signing some diecast before he started with the fans and was also hiding a little bit. He was very shy, but also gave a nice smile. The lady standing in front of us remarked on how little he is, and that he could be her son! Mom was surprised to learn that David is in his 30s, since he looks very boyish.

We also saw Robby Gordon and David Ragan but were heading off to other rigs at the time so we didn’t take pictures. Kasey Kahne was apparently having a Q&A session (what a screaming squealing mob that must have been!) and Jim and Nicole just missed Jamie McMurray’s Q&A. I think in the three years we’ve been going to Pocono more drivers were signing this time than ever before! It was a lot of fun to watch them all.

(For bigger, better quality (Blogger tends to distort images) and more pictures, go here)

The Pocono 500 Field Awaits!

As feared, Danni and I won’t be watching Michael Waltrip race this weekend. He was the last car to get bumped out of the field, which is a bitter defeat as well as an encouragement (at least he wasn’t far off - yeah, that’s looking at things with the glass half full). I’m disappointed because I really thought he’d be able to make the race because he’s so good at Pocono, but in a way it could be good for me as a fan who so desperately wants to meet my hero. Since he’s been missing races he’s been showing up at his souvenir rig a lot more on Sundays, so maybe I’ll get lucky and at the very least get to see him close up.

Unfortunately DJ missed the field as well with an evil-looking car resulting in an equally evil-looking lap.

David was MWR’s bright spot. The BK car looked great both in appearance and on the track. It stuck beautifully to the track, although there was something odd going on that Wally Dallenbach pointed out. David and Michael gained time in the corners but lost it on the straights. He wondered if there was something wrong with the bodies. I think he might be right on, because I doubt it’s the engines as Michael fans so easily put the blame on.

Why?

Brian Vickers, AJ Allmendinger and Dave Blaney (not to mention David), that’s why. If the problem was still the engines, we’d see it in all the Toyotas.

Brian had an amazing lap and could really whip that little Red Bull Camry around the apexes of the turns. The funniest thing was that he remarked it was a conservative lap! That’s 9th place! I’m really excited because I believe he could have a great run on Sunday and continue his leaps and bounds up the standings.

Kurt’s week got worse today during practice. First he slapped the wall and then he gave it a stern talking to by pounding it later on. The Miller Lite crew brought out the backup car but couldn’t prepare it in time to put a couple laps on it before practice ended, so qualifying was the first time this car had ever seen Pocono. Kurt did the smart thing and treaded carefully.

Martin, Casey and Dale Jr. all had excellent laps, qualifying 3rd, 12th and 13th, respectively. I expect this trio to be very competitive come Sunday!

Thank You NASCAR!

This morning NASCAR announced Kurt’s penalties, and I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I saw them.

100 driver and owner points, $100,000.

He dropped from 11th to a tie for 17th in points.

I’m really thankful that NASCAR seems to understand that Kurt isn’t the type of guy that has a huge record of causing trouble. His reputation was killed by the Jimmy Spencer incident but other than that he is not an aggressive driver to the point of causing wreck after wreck. Since he joined Penske he has reined in his fire and this is the first major happening he’s been involved in over a year. Kurt learns from his mistakes and I know he won’t repeat this one.

“I regret the incident that occurred at Dover and apologize to NASCAR, my sponsors, the fans, my Penske Racing team and Joe Gibbs Racing," Kurt said. “I understand that safety is crucial to the sport and I accept the points penalty, fine and probation that NASCAR has imposed on me.”

He means that, and it’s nice to see a statement by the driver rather than the PR-written statement we commonly see when a driver gets in trouble. It’s also nice to see that he’s apologizing to his fans because no doubt we’re going to get heckled by other fans, especially since a bunch of them are disappointed he didn’t get suspended.

Kurt is great at Pocono (though he did hit the wall in this first practice) and I expect he can earn back many of those 100 points on Sunday.

Oh Kurt...

It’s Thursday night and still no announcement on Kurt’s pit road incident. On ESPN’s NASCAR Now it was said that there would be no handout until Friday. This could make things very interesting because Kurt will be at the track tomorrow getting ready to practice and qualify.

Rumors, as to be expected, are flying everywhere. Some are saying (and hoping) he’ll be suspended for at least one race. Some are saying that the penalties won’t be as bad as everyone is thinking. It’s actually quite amazing that there haven’t been more unconfirmed reports like in many other situations of such magnitude. NASCAR and Penske are doing a great job at keeping tight-lipped about it.

The more the waiting drags on the more I’m worrying, since I have a lot more time to worry than the normal Wednesday punishment announcements. The number one thing that will bother me is if NASCAR knocks on his motorcoach door tomorrow morning to say, “Sorry man, but you gotta go home.” That would be beyond cruel; to make him come all the way to Pocono just to send him packing. It will kill Kurt inside and I know it. The expression of pure pain on his face at Homestead in 2005 will never leave me, and while in this case a suspension is justified it will still make me feel the same way. Kurt is a racer, as pure as they get, and he wants to race badly. Pocono is one of his best tracks and he could win there Sunday.

A theory going around among the fans is that if there is a suspension it won’t be in effect until Michigan next weekend as a result of the tardy decision.

This year seems to be NASCAR’s year of standards. Michael’s Daytonagate, Tony Jr.’s suspension. Will Kurt’s deal be another jaw-dropper? There have been many incidents that have resulted in little penalty for similar danger-levels as this one. Last year at Pocono after Tony Stewart wrecked Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards the retaliation spread onto pit road when Carl spun Tony out on entry. Carl hit Tony just right so that the car did not hit any crew members, but what if it had? Carl did not get suspended nor fined points. And what about the Busch race at Talladega last year? After Dale Jr. wrecked Carl on the last lap, Carl sped quickly up to Junior and slammed into his door, which could have taken Junior’s arm off. No suspension, no points fine. Let’s not even get into Tony Stewart’s chapter book of wrecks he has caused and people he has put in danger. All together they amount to…no suspensions (you guessed it!).

If NASCAR finally suspends someone for putting someone in danger, will they be doing it to set a standard? Or will they be doing it because it’s Kurt Busch?

Kurt deserves whatever penalty he gets. If it’s a suspension, I’ll sigh and suck it up. If it’s anything less, I’ll be just about celebrating because in my opinion Kurt already knows and regrets what he did and sitting him out would only make him miserable. They can fine him as many points as they wish, but I hope they let him race. He’s not a bad guy. Even the good guys will lose their cool.

Dover Internat'l Speedway - Autism Speaks 400

RACE WINNER: MARTIN TRUEX JR.!!

Before anything, I’d like to send my condolences to the France family and all those who knew Bill France Jr. He passed peacefully away today at his home during the race at the age of 74. I was shocked to hear this news and saddened despite the fact that I am not familiar with him (only been a fan since 2003). He helped build NASCAR into the huge success it is today and the sport has lost another great person this year.

Martin Truex Jr.: 1st (started 26th)
- For the second week in a row, one of our drivers got his first win! Martin dominated his hometown race by leading 216 laps. His car was excellent thanks to crew chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the whole Bass Pro Shops team. I was pretty nervous during the last stint knowing that the #1 Chevy wasn’t as good on restarts as Martin’s biggest competitor, Ryan Newman, but the other drivers on the track were kind and did not bring out any cautions at the end (and, to all those conspiracy theorists out there, that includes a flat right rear for Jimmie Johnson).

- It was wonderful to see the celebration in Victory Lane with his long-time girlfriend Sherry, his father and a visit from Dale Jr. I couldn’t help but be a little sad because of the bittersweet nature, though. How do you have a victory party when you know someone beloved by NASCAR has died just hours before? How should you act? Do winning festivities seem rude or disrespectful? It is just a difficult situation. I am so immensely proud and excited for Martin’s first Cup win, but man… when they zoomed in on the American flag flying at half-mast over Victory Lane, I felt myself choking up.

- Quotes:
“Man. I just don't know what to say. I've got to thank all these guys and everyone at DEI for all their hard work in times of change and times when people don't really know what's going on and they need some leadership and some direction, I'm just real happy to be the one here in victory lane. It couldn't come at a better race track for us and for Bass Pro Shops and Chevrolet and everybody involved. This is just unbelievable, man. What an unbelievable race car we had today.

“He (Dale Jr.) said (in Victory Lane), 'I told you, you could do it, man.' It means a lot. He's been a great friend. He said, 'I'll see you at the house tonight.' So we're going to have some fun.”
Race2Win

- This win moves Martin up to 13th in points. Congratulations, Martin and the Bass Pro Shops team! Perfect race!

Casey Mears: 13th (started 41)
- It was a horrible qualifying run, but some pit strategy (two tires during a stop) launched the #25 National Guard Chevy into the top-20. He remained there for most of the race. Because of long green flag runs and green flag pit stops, Casey went a lap down for some time. He got the free pass near the end of the race and gained a spot when teammate Jimmie Johnson pitted for a flat tire. Another solid run for this team. He is now 27th in points.

Brian Vickers: 19th (started 24th)
- From the drop of the green flag, Brian began passing cars and moved into the top-20. Like Casey, some pit strategy launched him into the top-10, where he ran comfortably until a tire-wear problem forced him to pit under the green flag and lose two laps. At one point, Brian got in front of leader Ryan Newman during a restart and was able to stay ahead of the leaders for a long time. Unfortunately, he never got a chance to make up that lap as a caution refused to fall and Martin repassed him. However, perseverance paid off and as cars dropped out of the race, the #83 Red Bull Toyota picked up positions.

-Quotes:
“We had a really good car and the tires weren't lasting today. It wasn't a really good tire and everybody was cutting tires, cording tires and blowing tires. We ended up cording the right rear and had to come in and pit. We had a great car and we almost got our second lap back. We got out in front of the leader one time but that's when we had a 300-lap run and they ended up catching back up with us. We just weren't as good in the long run at that point in the race. We had a really good car, nobody gave up and we still came out with a top-20. It's a good race.”
Race2Win

- The good run moved Brian up two spots to 38th in driver and owners points. He is now 180 points away from 35th place #70 car.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 22nd (started 2nd)
- After another best qualifying attempt of the year (also started 2nd at Darlington), Junior was probably expecting a better finish than 22nd. It didn’t seem like anything bad would happen when the car dropped no lower than 4th. But the #8 team was later plagued by right rear tires wearing to the cords and had to pit under green flag conditions twice, losing four laps in the process. As the race dragged on, he gained two laps and was just inside the top-20 when either an electrical or fuel pressure problem caused him to lose power.

-Quotes:
“We had a great car. It's that simple. My guys built a bad-fast racecar. We started up front and as each run went along, we seemed to slow down a lot less than the rest of the field. But, with the heavy rains the last couple of days, it washed all of the rubber off the concrete, and that meant the high-line I was running was really, really abrasive. It just abused the right rear tires and we ended up with two that shredded down to the cords. We didn't puncture them or run over anything: we just flat wore 'em slam-out. That's a shame and it's frustrating to have a day that started so well turn out so frustrating.”

(On Martin winning): “Hell yeah! That's a great deal for Martin and the whole team. Actually, it's a great day for everyone at Dale Earnhardt Inc. Martin's a helluva driver and a good guy. With his talent and the way he and Bono have been working together, it was only a matter of when they were going to get their first win. He told me after practice Saturday they had a great car, so I think they knew they were going to be one of the cars to beat. They have been having a season a lot like ours: fast every week but just falling victim to bad luck. I'm really happy for him and his family and the Bass Pro team, and I'm sure it's even more special for him to win in front of a lot of friends and family. You can't underestimate what that means.”
Budweiser Report

- Junior falls to 15th in points.

Michael Waltrip: 28th (started 23rd)
- As feared, Michael’s first race since Daytona wasn’t a pleasant one, but the #55 team never gave up under the direction of crew chief Bobby Kennedy. They were extremely tight the entire race and skating the right front tire. Finally, on Lap 338, Michael had a flat right rear and hit the wall, sliding down the high banks of Dover and miraculously not hitting anyone (though Sterling Marlin came awfully close!). Despite that issue, the team did not lose another lap and finished 5 laps down. Michael was also nice to listen to on the radio and did not have the same sour attitude like he did last year. If he keeps that up, it will be good for the team.

- Quotes:
“We didn't have a very good run, but the pit crew got to practice and we got to learn. I had a flat tire and messed up my car really bad at the end, but I was still able to hold off the guy I was racing for position. That's a baby step. At least I'm not minus points in the driver's standings now - I've got that going for me.

“I hate that we got ourselves in this position where we don't really know which end is up. The way DJ ran today - and we were competitive at times - we now know this set-up here doesn't work. So, we can mark that one off the list. We can go back to work and figure out how to get our cars to turn.”
Race2Win

- Just being in the race dragged Michael out of the negative driver points – he now has 52!

Kurt Busch: 42nd (started 12th)
- What looked as if it would be a decent day for Kurt went sharply downhill after a frustrating battle with Tony Stewart. Stewart seemed to have a major issue with letting Kurt (who had a faster car) by and held up a large pack of cars as a result. Finally, Kurt was tagged from behind by Greg Biffle and took that contact as a hint to get on with the pass. He got side-by-side with Stewart and slid up in front of him… except he wasn’t totally clear. He turned himself across the #20’s nose, while also putting Stewart into the wall and a nasty-looking wreck ensued. Now, supposedly Kurt was cleared by his spotter, but since I wasn’t listening to their radio I cannot verify this. A big topic in NASCAR is “give and take”. This was a prime example of both drivers not giving an inch and taking everything. Stewart is a great one for racing others’ like dirt, but whining when he gets the same back (usually adding some name-calling and career-dissing in the mix). There was over 100 laps to go – if Stewart was indeed holding Kurt up, he should have moved over. But… that is too much to ask of him, I guess!

- Then a crappy situation got worse. A lot worse. Tempers went over the boiling point and unfortunately Kurt was still able to drive his car. So, when Stewart went to his pit box, Kurt drove up beside it and slid into it. Okay, yeah, whatever, right? Except there was a crew member checking the right front of Stewart’s car and he jumped away just in time. Not good and I am not happy about this at all. Kurt should have known better. NASCAR wasn’t too pleased either. They parked his car permanently for the remainder of the race and called him into the Oval Office for some discussion. Kurt later apologized for the pit road incident, but I’m not sure how much that is going to help him. Later penalties are possible. I am afraid of suspension, especially because Pocono is next week. But… I’d support it.

(Angry) Quotes:
“I raced the guy (Tony Stewart) all day long and for some reason he just didn’t give an inch. We raced about 15 laps there side by side and I had about 90 percent of my car past him and he wrecked me flat out. I was maybe not clear by a few inches, but he bumped me on another restart, he hit me on another restart. I have no idea what Tony Stewart had for us today. He finally wrecked me. He got accomplished what he wanted to do. I’m still very confused by it.

“We were racing real well, 10-15 laps side by side. My car was just inching on him. He hit me on a couple of other restarts. I really don’t know what he was all about today. He didn’t give an inch. I saw a ton of cars stack up in the mirror behind us, which meant we were racing way too hard. He didn’t want to give an inch. He hit me on the restarts twice. I think he got his mission accomplished. I have no idea (if this stemmed from something else), but I know that he hit us so many times today mission accomplished for Tony.

“I wanted to make a point, but when you make a point like that it always ends up making it worse. It was my fault for doing that. The issue was out on the racetrack. It was not on pit road.”
Race2Win

- Kurt is now 11th in points, but who knows how far that may drop.

Dale Jarrett: 43rd (started 22nd)
- For the second week in row, DJ finished last. In the beginning of the race things looked bad for the #88 team, but he slowly moved forward into the low 20s and it appeared he was going to have a great day. Then something put a hole in the radiator and he lost water pressure. No water means a really cooked engine.

- Quotes:
“I guess something flew up and knocked a hole in the radiator. We had a pretty decent race car and we were able to be competitive. And, I noticed it started losing some power. Then, we made our pit stop and went back out after that and it never ran the same. It ran the battery down. It got really hot. It got hot and I did notice it on the temperature gauge -- I knew the temp. had gone up -- but it wasn't excessive. But, because there was no water in it there wasn't anything in there to get hot. It showed me the thing was cooking. A little bad luck for us today. The guys did a good job of adjusting the car. We got a lot more competitive. We were pretty good until the motor started to go because of that.”
Race2Win

- DJ remains 39th in points and 41st in owners points.

Rainy Thoughts...

What was once Tropical Storm Barry is down bearing down on Dover, successfully postponing the race until tomorrow at noon. This was preferable to me, for I was unable to watch it anyway – my local FOX station decided instead to broadcast a donation program for Albany Med and moved the race to a digital channel that I do not get.

Despite not watching the prerace show FOX had, I saw that Jeff Hammond stated that he has sources who say Dale Jr. is going to Joe Gibbs Racing with Visa as a sponsor and it should be announced within a couple of weeks. I hope to all things powerful that this is Hammond just trying to stir things up! JGR was my last choice and the fact that Junior, according to this rumor, will no longer be with Budweiser is very upsetting to me. I am also unhappy because more than likely JJ Yeley would be the loser in this situation; he’d either get fired or give up his points so Junior could make the first five races of next year. NOT HAPPY!

Other interesting news this week included the suspension of Tyler Walker due to drug abuse. Walker has always raised suspicion in me that he was doing something and my first response when Jess told me to guess who got nabbed for substance abuse was him. I just find it unbelievable that he, Shane Hmiel and Kevin Grubb could throw their racing opportunities away for getting high. It also infuriates me that these guys had rides while others like Brandon Whitt are sitting on the sidelines. I have no sympathy for drug users’ struggles, though I do hope Walker seeks help. What a waste.

On a happier note, if we get this race in tomorrow we will be watching Michael Waltrip for the first time since Daytona! He and Dale Jarrett qualified, but unfortunately David Reutimann hit the wall with his right-rear as he was taking the green for his attempt and it must have damaged the car and his confidence enough that he was just horribly slow. It was a real shame because he had a fast car. Mikey and DJ were not fast in either practice yesterday but watching Michael, his car seemed good and steady. I am not getting my hopes up yet for a fantastic performance… it is just good to see Mikey and that NAPA Camry back on the racetrack.

Jess and I will be heading out for Pocono next weekend. Wish all the MWR cars luck so all three can make the race! I also hope Brian Vickers and AJ Allmendinger can qualify too – AJ would be so wonderful to meet if he signs on Sunday! Check out Team Red Bull’s blog. It’s hysterical and gives a great look into the team.

Dover Internat'l Speedway - Dover 200

RACE WINNER: CARL EDWARDS

Scott Wimmer: 3rd (started 2nd)
- Another great run for Scott in the #21 AutoZone Chevy! He is really showing some muscle out on the track and I just know that win is coming. Unfortunately, I believe this race was one that the team gave away. Several races back, the #21 decided that it would aid in the development of a new crew and it really blew up in their faces today. On every pit stop there seemed to be trouble, especially with the left-rear tire changer. It hurt watching Scott lose all those positions he either maintained or gained on the track. Finally, after teammate Jeff Burton went two laps down after he pitted under green fearing a flat, Richard Childress called for a team switch between the #21 and #29. This was a great decision and paid off instantly – on the next (and last) stop, Scott gained a spot on pit road.

- Sadly, as it so often happens, time ran out. Several cars stayed out on the last pit stop and that, combined with lapped cars and caution after caution, really hindered Scott’s ability to get back into contention. In the closing laps, he battled with Marcos Ambrose and Denny Hamlin. Just as he was passing Hamlin for 2nd on the final lap, a bunch of cars wrecked and the field was locked. Such a shame, but Scott was a man and did not insult his crew on air like Hamlin did several races back. You’ll show ‘em what you’re made of, Scott!

Casey Mears: 4th (started 9th)
- Back-to-back wins were not written in the records today for Casey, but he ran solidly all race. It was a little nerve-wracking to watch him and Scott racing at the end there, though (I always get nervous when my favorite drivers combat for position). He was the live “reporter” again for ESPN, but seemed a little more strained this time (probably because it’s a shorter track and there is less time to talk with the crew). His crew chief Chad Walter was amusing and in good humor, however.

David Reutimann: 15th (started 35th)
- After a DNQ for the NEXTEL Cup race and a miserable qualifying run for the Busch Series, I was apprehensive about David’s performance today. But I loved every minute that he proved me wrong! Immediately after the green fell he began picking up spots and slowly but surely made it into the top-20 (even though he apparently hit the wall at one point). He avoided the wild wreck that Mike Wallace, David Ragan and Stephen Leicht were involved in to move above 15th, but then his luck ran out. When the lapped car of Kevin Conway drifted into the side of Regan Smith, all hell broke loose behind them. David slowed but was instantly hit from behind by close follower Reed Sorenson. He slid and bounced down the straight for some time without getting too much damage and was the only car in the incident (also including David Gilliland) to continue on. The car was still good, but late-race cautions marred his march forward. Another wreck happened right in front of him when Juan Pablo Montoya creamed the #11 of Jason Keller. With a couple of laps to go, I thought I saw David dive onto pit road, but according to NASCAR.com he finished on the lead lap so I might have been mistaken.

- Quotes: “I had a great car until I ran into the wall with it by myself. I got tied up behind the No. 38 car (Jason Leffler) and I hadn't been behind a Busch car here like that. We were just practicing (before) and it caught me off-guard in the race how tight it made the car. I hit the wall with it. The guys came in here and busted their tails on the thing and worked and worked on it. They got it to the point where it was a car we could run among top-10. We just got caught up in a deal on the front straightaway there when they started wrecking and we had it missed. Whoever was behind us -- you know it's hard to slow down here -- they got in the back of us and wrecked us. So, we came in and they beat on it and worked on it again and we ended up 15th. All in all, I'm real proud and we had a good car. We just didn't get a chance to show how good we were. Some of it was driver inflicted early on and some of it was other drivers. I'm proud of my guys, as bent as that car was it shouldn't have been able to go down pit road straight. They got it to where we could almost be in the top-10. That's pretty impressive.”
Race2Win

- David remains 5th in points and moved up to 10th in owners points.

Other Notes:

- ESPN’s coverage continues to make me sick, especially now that Allen Bestwick has been kicked out of the booth and replaced by Suzy Kolber, a woman who has no experience in NASCAR whatsoever. She also has absolutely no idea how to narrate anything without making it sound like a funeral. Nothing to add to the show except a woman’s voice that does nothing but embarrass women who actually know what they’re talking about. I am not racist or sexist, but ESPN seems to be grasping at straws to present a diverse panel. In exchange for this supposed milestone in NASCAR history, the discussion is weak, bland and desperate. The only good thing ESPN did this weekend was get rid of Shannon Spake!

A Picture That Says a Thousand Words

Charlotte Motor Speedway - Coca-Cola 600

RACE WINNER: CASEY MEARS!!!!!

Casey Mears: 1st (started 16th)
- YES!!!! A day after Casey’s first NEXTEL Cup victory and I’m still grinning and still bouncing off the walls. The #25, beautifully done up in camouflage to honor Memorial Day, was a good car all night, and near the end of the race it could stick to the track amazingly well. I listened to a few radio feeds throughout the race and kept track of Casey early on, when he was having trouble with his pit road speed (he got a speeding penalty on exit during Lap 141 pit stops - thankfully under yellow). He was also having some issues with his alternator and even with a battery change had to switch back and forth between his two batteries to keep the volts up. To make his night more exciting he avoided several different wrecks, once threading skillfully in between Carl Edwards and David Ragan.

- The last few laps were incredibly nerve-wracking to watch because at any moment I thought he would run out of gas. Spotter Chuck Joyce was an amazing cheerleader and could barely conceal his excitement to keep spotting. When Casey made it to Turn 4 on the last lap I felt like passing out with relief. Darian made an awesome call to stay out and hope the fuel would last and that team finally got what they all have been working so hard to do when Casey crossed the finish line. Then the tears came…hearing how happy he was (especially when he ran out of gas on the cool-down lap!), and seeing the team running out into the grass and hearing Rick Hendrick on the radio was just the best feeling in the world. It only got better when Jimmie Johnson arrived in Victory Lane. Casey took one look at him and his face crumpled. Jimmie gave him a quick dousing of Gatorade and then wrapped his arms around his best friend. Casey couldn’t hold back the tears. It was so refreshing to see such perfect emotion and I knew that Casey wouldn’t disappoint those who wish there was more emotion in NASCAR.

- The list of the drivers who visited Victory Lane/congratulated Casey is a long one. Jimmie, Kyle Busch (which should dispel the rumors of them disliking each other) and his girlfriend Erica, Reed Sorenson (who called Casey his “boy”), Brian Vickers and Kyle Petty (Casey was one of Adam’s best friends so Kyle knows him very well, and was very happy that he won). During NASCAR Victory Lane Casey also had someone touch him on the shoulder and he said, “Thanks David,” and I’m assuming this was David Stremme since they were friends at Ganassi. It was just great to see and hear. Casey is such a nice person and it really warmed my heart.

Some quotes:

Casey:
“I can’t believe it. Wait a minute. Let me look around to make sure what it looks like. The team just did an awesome job. I’ve got to thank Darian. He made an awesome call. He told me to conserve fuel. I am so proud of everybody here. It is definitely a team win. We had a third, fourth, maybe fifth place car. The only way we were going to win it was to stay out. I tried to conserve fuel the best I could. Darian and the National Guard/GMAC guys did an excellent. I want to say hi to all the National Guard guys out there. It is a special weekend for all the American Heroes, they have all paid a big price for us. I am proud to take them to Victory Circle. It is a big night for all of us.”

Kyle Petty:
“I couldn’t be more excited for Casey Mears if his name was Adam Petty. I can tell you that. I’m tickled to death for Casey Mears. That kid is a great racecar driver. He’s very underrated. People don’t pay a lot of attention to him. He’s jumped in a Hendrick car and he’s struggled some this year. There’s going to be a lot of good things from him. He’s going to be somebody to reckon with.
“When you race Casey Mears you know how hard he’s driving every single lap. It doesn’t matter if you’re racing for 43rd or you’re racing for second. A lot of the time these guys don’t get credit for some of the things they do. The press and media flock to the guy that wins, and that’s the way you should, but these guys don’t get the credit. I think Casey left Ganassi and went to Hendrick and it’s not been a bed of roses over there for the first 10 races this year. I think Casey is a good guy, he and his family, his father and his uncle. He works hard at it and he tries had at it and to finally be able to come out and do something, I’m just ecstatic for him. I really am. I like to see those guys come up and who have paid their dues and worked hard to get where they’re at finally have it paid off.”

Reed Sorenson: “One of the few buddies I have out here won the race, so I’m pretty pumped up I had a good run and my boy won, so I’m pretty excited right now. Casey and I are pretty good friends. He was my teammate last year and we still talk a lot, so I wanted to go congratulate him.”
Race2Win

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: 8th (started 4th)
- Despite thinking he finished 2nd, Junior was in good spirits after a great run. He overcame a flat tire that sent him a lap down for a time and pretty much ran in the Top 10 all night long, which is great news for this team after losing 100 points for their wing bracket infraction. Tony Gibson did a great job keeping up with the handling of the Bud Chevy (also decked out in camo).

Martin Truex Jr.: 16th (started 31st)
- I’d say a Top 20 is a great finish when you look at what this poor car went through. He was caught up in the Lap 53 wreck started by Jimmie Johnson’s outer liner coming off his tire (AJ Allmendinger had gotten loose under Jimmie the lap before and had cut the tire). Somehow the Bass Pro team got the car repaired enough to race competitively. It looked really crunched up but I guess everything that needed to be smoothed out was fixed up. Because of the damage fumes were blowing into the cockpit and making Martin’s eyes burn, which must have been really painful. He went a lap down but got the Lucky Dog and was running back into the Top 10 at one time but lost it during the last green-flag pit stops right before the checkers.

Kurt Busch: 32nd (started 2nd)
- This ended up being another frustrating race for Kurt and the Miller Lite team. At first it looked like it was going to be a great night, with Kurt leading 107 laps early on with very old tires. However, things went downhill when he got fresh tires during a pit stop. From then on the #2 was a very ill-handling Dodge and Kurt’s radio traffic made that very clear. His language became foul and once again he turned very sarcastic at times with Troy. I don’t like that so I switched to another feed. On Lap 186 Kurt spun but got only a little damage. He ran fairly well after that even with an evil car but was put out of his misery on Lap 299 when he wrecked hard down the backstretch. “We had a really good car early on and every time I came in it was like roulette,” he said. “What tires are we going to get? How’s the car going to handle? I was in position for the Lucky Dog and the car just jumped out from underneath me. I thought we had a really good car early on. It just didn’t stick for us when the track got better for everybody. It’s funny how we just ran the same lap times all night. We were really good in the daytime but horrible at night.”
Race2Win

Dale Jarrett: 40th (started 23rd)
- What a heartbreaker! From the drop of the green Dale was having problems with the transmission, which they have been having all season long. It kept popping out of gear and despite all of DJ’s best efforts he over-revved the motor and it blew up. It was really sad because he was running in the Top 10 - yes, because a lot of the field had wrecked, but he was keeping pace and would have very likely gotten a good finish.

Other Notes:
- Brian Vickers had an amazing run, no matter what difficulties were thrown at him. He led 76 laps with an astonishingly dominant Camry that was often much faster than the rest of the field. Not only did the power steering go out, but he was also having starter problems and cut a tire and slapped the wall! I couldn’t believe how strong this team was. Doug Richert and David Green are perfect cheerleaders and although Brian sounded hopeless and half-dead near the end of the race he soldiered on and was still faster than many of the cars on the track. In the end he stretched his fuel mileage and got 5th place, a Top 5 he and his team deserved, and Toyota’s first. Danni and I have always liked Brian, but now we have become fans. Starting at Dover he will be included always in our reports.

- JJ Yeley also had a much-deserved 2nd place finish. JJ is a good guy that is very underrated so I was happy to see him run well - his first Top 5 of his Cup career.

- Jeremy Mayfield was having a great run until his engine let go with less than 20 laps left. It was definitely encouraging to see how well the Toyotas ran. Dave Blaney finished 18th.

- Poor AJ Allmendinger! He went a lap down early because his car was handling very badly, but the night got much worse when the scariest wreck of the race occurred. Tony Raines got loose in front of Jeff Gordon on the frontstretch and Gordon tried to pass him on the inside too late. Raines got into Gordon and a large crash ensued. AJ was about to sneak through when Gordon flew back into the track and hit the wall right in front of AJ, who had nowhere to go. AJ hit him square in the “passenger” side door, sending the rear of the #24 into the air. Thankfully everyone got out of their cars okay, and I give all the credit to the SAFER barrier.

Charlotte Motor Speedway - Carquest Auto Parts 300

RACE WINNER: KASEY KAHNE

Casey Mears: 2nd (started 22nd)

- Another race so close you could taste it! At first the handling of the National Guard Chevy was so wild that Casey nearly lost it, but luckily he made an amazing save. Chad made a great pit strategy call to gain Casey track position at the end but unfortunately Kahne's car was a little better. Still a fantastic performance by this team and that first win is so close.

Scott Wimmer: 9th (started 2nd)

- I think Scott was hoping for a shot at the victory but a Top 10 is nothing to be sad over. His smile during his post-race interview said it all. He can't keep a straight face anymore...he smiles every few seconds it seems. I'm glad he's racing next weekend as well!

Todd Kluever: 15th (started 13th)

- Todd was probably a little disappointed but still got a good finish.

- “We had a really good car at the beginning of the race. I was really proud of Chad and all the guys. We weren’t very good on the bottom, which is kind of unfortunate, but we found the top groove and we ran up there for a while and I think we were one of the few to actually have some success there. I know in the middle part of the race I thought we were really fast up there and passed a lot of cars. Then we adjusted on it and somehow we just got out of whack a little bit. I don’t know if something went wrong with the right spring or something, but we’re gonna find out. I bounced it off the wall running the top groove and that probably didn’t help, so the driver had some help in messing the car up, but, like I said, we weren’t very good on the bottom so we had to go to the top. I was trying with everything I had and then we slipped.”

Race2Win

Kurt Busch: 41st (started 5th)

- Poor Kurt had an up-and-down night that ended badly. At first the #12 appeared out of control, but somehow Kurt drove it to the lead even after hitting the wall several times (and would lead a total of 52 laps). And then the dreaded pit stop. The front tire changer missed some lugs during a green-flag stop so Kurt had to come back in, which of course he was very displeased about, and of course, had a fit over the radio (I notice he likes the word "lovely" when he's very angry). I wish he wouldn't yell so much even though I understand and feel his frustration. What was really ridiculous was ESPN's pit reporter Shannon Spake, who I haven't liked since she was on SPEED. She explained that the reason why Kurt was returning to the pits was because they forgot to give him water. What?

- It only got better when Kurt spun out and crashed by himself soon after the unscheduled stop, while he was unsuccessfully fighting to get back onto the lead lap. Spake was his post-wreck interviewer, and didn't happen to realize that when the cars are at full speed around the track you shouldn't talk so fast and like a (for the lack of a better term) bimbo. Kurt got an expression on his face like a mixture of annoyance and amusement and said something along the lines of, "I didn't hear a word you just said; you're good at that." I must admit I flinched, but he was right. This Spake girl...should not be a pit reporter. I don't care how pretty she is. Krista Voda at least can speak audibly and knows what she's doing.

David Reutimann: 43rd (started 24th)

- David's night didn't even make it to dusk. It all went downhill before the green ever flew, when Danni noticed the Aaron's Camry was spewing water on the pace laps. It didn't take long at all after the race began for the engine to go up in smoke, and David's chance at backing up his great test was gone. No one is sure what happened, but it seems odd. In practice on Thursday JJ Yeley's side window came off and hit David's car, resulting in the Aaron's crew replacing the radiator and other parts that were torn to pieces by the window. Did they miss something? Was it something totally unrelated to the practice incident? Whatever happened, a 43rd really hurt David in points. From 3rd to 5th, tied with Regan Smith, who is 6th.

Other Notes:

- I want to say as little about Kasey Kahne as I can, for I don't want to drop to name-calling like he does. That being stated, I was a sore loser and wanted Casey to rough him up on that last restart.

- Ned Jarrett joined DJ in the booth tonight, which was really fun. Ned is so cute! Michael was also there for the prerace but disappeared quickly. Anyway, they are just about the only good things about ESPN's coverage. I can't believe how many times this station shows the same videos, plays the same music over and over (they have made "Back in the Saddle" by Aerosmith one of my most hated songs) and has the crappiest replays ever.

- Jimmie Johnson. Wow. He is (as Jeff Gordon would say) AWESOME!!! An astonishing, jaw-dropping spinner-outer. He spun out twice and finished 6th. I guess that's why he's a Cup Champion!